MORALE BOOSTERS
Morale on the picket lines is essential. Over the coming weeks and months, it will be harder and harder for WGA members to maintain their will to fight. Feet get sore, energy wanes and hope can drain away. And in NYC, the chilly winter weather is going to make a long picket tough. We can help them.
The two best Morale Boosters are to walk the picket line and to donate to Food4Thought.
Join the picket line!
The WGA has invited supporters to join them on the picket lines.
You may want to go and support the writers of a show you love at a particular strike location, or just support writers in general at a picket location near you.
Los Angeles
Picket locations (full list) are determined by WGA West and are generally manned from 9am-5pm. At times, the WGA will march en masse at particular strategic locations. To find out the latest, visit the main strike page at the WGA.
New York
Picket location is determined by WGA East. This changes each day to ensure that the message is spread across the city. Stay up to date and sign up to receive alerts about what you can do to help in NYC by regularly checking in with the WGA East.
What should I do on the picket line?
When joining the picket line, there are certain rules you must follow. (Read our Frequently Asked Questions about joining the picket line.) These rules are in place to protect picketers, and to keep the picket in line with the goals of the WGA. When you arrive, find the Strike Captain and let them know you're a fan.
Wear RED to show your support, and feel free to bring a camera so you can make your own record of the event.
You may choose to bring your own sign. We have a customizable picket sign you are free to use - Fans4Writers Picket Sign
The strike captains of the WGA have provided information on what to expect on the picket lines.
Join our "Food4Thought" Program!
A hot meal or a snack can make all the difference to a tired, disheartened striker. Writers have been feeding our minds for generations -- now it's time to return the favor.
What started as a pizza drop by fans of Joss Whedon to the Universal picket on the first day of the strike has grown into the "Food4Thought" program.
Great fandoms think alike, and such deliveries are at the heart of the Fans4Writers effort. Food drops have been organized by fans of Battlestar Galactica, The Colbert Report, Supernatural, Moonlight, and The Office, to name just a few.
And the recipients have told us just how important it has been for them to know that they are supported by fans.
"Seeing you guys with your pizzas and your poster... It was very touching, and it reminded me why exactly I got into such an insane line of work: it's really an amazing thing to try to make great things for great people." - Scott M. Gimple, Writer, "Drive"
Through "Food4Thought" we want to be able to make sure that the picket locations in Los Angeles and New York receive regular deliveries of goodies to keep morale high.
We're in this for the long haul, folks, and we’ll be here for the duration of the strike.
We are working with numerous fan communities to ensure that we regularly cover every picket location.
Our current resources allow us to make deliveries to some of the studios... but not all. So we need YOUR help. There are a few ways that you can assist.
1) Donate to our "Food4Thought" Fund.
This will enable us to feed the writers at various locations on a regular basis. If you are not able to make it to the picket line, and you want to help out, this is an excellent way to do so.
UPDATED: Now that the strike is over, the donation links have been removed and all subscriptions cancelled. The money left over will be donated to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund. F4W would like to thank everyone who contributed, you made a huge difference and allowed us to feed a lot of hungry writers.
2) Organise a "Food4Thought" delivery.
If you would like to head down to a picket line and drop off some goodies, please do! You might go alone, or organize with your fellow fans to deliver to your favorite writers.
Before you do, there are a few simple things we’d like you to do. These will help us to coordinate deliveries, so that fans can cover as many locations as possible, without doubling up too much or leaving anyone out.
Let us know when and where you’re delivering to. Many of the studios have more than one gate, and ideally we would like to deliver to all the gates at each location. Simply email us at fans4writers@gmail.com (Subject: "Food Delivery Plan") so we can know which location our own volunteers don’t need to cover.
Show your fan colours! The WGA has encouraged all supporters to wear RED in solidarity. And to help show the networks that the fans are united, we are asking fans to incorporate the message of Fans4Writers into their actions. This could be as simple as mentioning Fans4Writers.com. You are also welcome to customize one of the nifty Fans4Writers posters or wear a Fans4Writers shirt. We have lots of resources available, and would be happy to help get you started. Check out Spread the Word for ideas.
3) Become a volunteer.
We are looking for volunteers in Los Angeles and New York to help us deliver to all the picket locations. If you would like to volunteer, you can email us at fans4writers@gmail.com (Subject: "Food4 Thought Volunteer"). Please let us know your availability, contact details and if you have any specific locations you would like to help out with.
"It truly warms my heart to see this kind of outreach for our cause. ... To know the fans not only understand why but are walking side by side with us during this strike actually helps us get through another day. Our shows would not survive without you. I cannot thank you enough." - Katherine Fugate, Creater and Executive Producer, "Army Wives"
But just as importantly, we want to ensure that the studios know about
what we are doing, and why. For this reason, we want to present a consistent
united front.
Fans4Writers is unaffiliated with the WGA, except in spirit.
This website has been viewed
times.